British destroyers had to cover convoy escort, fleet screening, carrier protection, and offensive torpedo work across a global system. The Tribal class supplied a hard-hitting forward element, while utility flotillas supplied numbers and torpedoes. In the night-attack concept, gunfire could expose and distract the enemy while following destroyers gained bearings for their torpedo attack. The force could then break away under smoke or drive into a merchant convoy after its heavy escort turned to evade the torpedo spread. Force K later used smaller cruiser-and-destroyer groupings to apply variants of this method in the Mediterranean.
Chapter · 2:31:05-2:40:57
Royal Navy destroyers: the Tribal spearhead and flotilla
The Royal Navy combined mass utility flotillas with larger Tribal and later fleet destroyers to protect them, illuminate targets, and open torpedo attacks.